Just a Bruise
by MissAntelope
Summary: During an attack at camp, Percy's small of his back is pressed NOT PUNCTURED, but pressed just enough for him to be in extreme pain for the next few days. A request from ADayWithNoLaughterIsADayWast ed
1. Alert

**A/N: As a request from A Day With No Laughter Is A Day Wasted (No spaces, it just won't show up on my computer if I type it the right way), I am going to inflict pain on our favorite character, Perseus Jackson.**

**After an attack at camp, Percy gives into his fatal flaw and lives to tell the tale. Curse of Achilles included, but he doesn't die… just gets banged up.**

Percy's POV:

"Down! Block-Aaaaannnnddd STRIKE!" I hollered and swung countless hits at the new camper. She was doing pretty well with her sword. As a child of Ares who was quite quiet and modest (rare), she was making all of her strikes and blocks clean. This newbie had some fighting experience.

Eventually I caught her on the side and knocked the blunt of my sword on her helmet. She fell on her bottom.

"NEXT!" I hollered and bent down next to her while the next kid jumped up into the ring. "Good job. Better than some people who come here. Nice strikes but work on your defense. See you next time." I smiled and gave her a hand up.

She left and the next one came up. He looked like he was from about sixth grade. His bright red curls made it hard to guess which house he was from but the look in his blue eyes told me that he was a Hermes child.

"Ok, we are working on defenses right now. Be careful," I said and he nodded. "GO" I shouted and whacked the blunt of my blade on the outside of his thigh. He stepped on my blade and brought his overtop. I slipped mine out from under his foot and went in for a jab. He stepped away and came around back. I ducked his swing and kicked his foot out from underneath him.

"NEXT!" I said and wiped some sweat from my brow. "Nice job there. Don't forget to be aware of everything around you, it will help." I helped him up.

The next was a girl who looked to be about my age, but never got to camp in time.

"What do we do here?" She asked and looked around everywhere.

"You are going to train. I am Percy, the swordsman at camp. Just try to keep up and block." I said and sent a wide swing at her. She held up her sword and blocked. I came at her with a punch and a block was sent my way. Slowly but surely, she was making headway.

"I'm getting the hang of this!" She exclaimed. Before we could go for a new attack, I saw something out of the corner of my eye. A flying streak of fire was heading right for us. Before I could yell instructions, I pounced on the girl to knock her out of the way. She gave me the funniest look and then saw the fiery arrow that sprouted right next to her head.

"Holy shi-" She started but was blocked out by everyone's screams.

"Campers!" I screamed and tried to get them to calm down. "We are under attack! Get ready for battle!" "Put this fire out then you can come and help us." I told the distraught looking girl. She was happy to pat out the flames. A rush of campers filed out of the arena and we looked outside. A small wave of monsters, enough to keep us busy, came up the hill. Some insider… Another traitor…

"CHARGE!" I screamed in harmony with another echoing voice to my right. Annabeth's group which she gathered from Mythology class and the climbing pit was right behind her and all suited up.

We ran and fought. I saw the first girl I worked with today slay a monster or two and a group of the youngsters were taking down a giant.

Annabeth fell inline right beside me. I smiled and we fought at our hardest to defend off these monsters.

I looked around and saw that everyone was doing pretty well. I cut the head of an empousi and worked on a band of Cyclopes. The number of campers this year were extreme and they seemed they could handle it. Good training even if it wasn't planned.

I ran towards Annabeth who was dodging strikes from gorgons. I jumped off someone's shield and they gave me a boost towards the air. I hacked a gorgon and she exploded into dust. Annabeth slew another one and the last one we took on together. She put on her cap and I kept it distracted. I cut a hold in her wing and Annabeth eventually jumped on her back and cut at the head.

"Nice Wise Girl!" I shouted and she took of her cap.

I turned to look at the fight and we were demolishing the monsters. When I looked back at Annabeth, I knew nothing was going to be the same.

A black shadow was bounding behind her.

"ANNABETH!" I screamed and her smile washed away. In her mid spin to see what was behind her, I jumped, tackling her to the ground. We rolled a little on the ground and then I felt the weight of the hellhound on me. Eyes closed I felt it's knuckles scrape against my back. I pulled Annabeth closer, hoping she wasn't hurt and then I felt it.

It got angry with us playing dead and so it walked away. On it's way it walked on my back. The small of my back. It's imprint didn't scratch it but made it feel like I was disintegrating. I screamed and Annabeth's eyes opened. My body collapsed and I put all of my weight on her.

I was in between consciousness and unconsciousness. My vision blurred and I felt Annabeth reach out from under me with her knife. Apparently the hellhound came back for more but it exploded in dust before it could rip us to shreds.

"Percy?" She asked and I couldn't move. My lungs were barely working and I could feel the pins and needles start from the small of my back and spread through my body. "Percy, what's wrong?" She asked and she slowly pushed me over. I lay on my back in indescribable pain.

"Achilles…" I choked out and let another scream ripple through my body. It stopped short when I felt my heart skip a beat and my breathing take a toll on me. "Hurts… So badly…" I managed before I lost sight and fell into a black abyss listening to the pleas of Annabeth, screaming 'Percy! Please! Wake up!'

**A/N: He doesn't die though. Anyway. That was the first chapter!**


	2. Awake

**A/N: Thanks for all of your reviews. I just finished one of my other stories, Time Traveling 101 and will now be focusing on finishing this story (Which will be sorta short maybe, I haven't thought about it.) and then working on Secret Agent Man! Enjoy!**

Annabeth's POV:

"ANNABETH!" I heard a shout before I was wretched from a relaxed pair of sea green eyes. In mid turn behind me, Percy crashed into me, sending us tumbling downwards. He straightened his arms, only with a slight bend, careful not to crush me.

I closed my eyes and grabbed onto his sweaty shirt.

We lay still for what was about ten seconds. Above us was a large hellhound. His beady little eyes looked at us and gave up. He started to walk away and I felt Percy lower himself, probably with the weight of a hellhound on his back. Back… Small of-

My thoughts were interrupted by a blood curdling scream. My whole body was crushed by his weight and with open eyes, I saw the open mouth of Percy come crashing down. His scream like a barrier of sound that penetrated my safe little reality.

The hellhound turned around and pounced. I pulled my knife and reached behind Percy's shivering body and stabbed upwards.

Specks of dust fell on us and Percy groaned again.

"Percy, what's wrong?" I asked as the battle diminished behind us.

"Achilles…" He croaked as I got out from underneath him. I slowly rolled him over and looking into his face of pain.

"Percy, what-" I was interrupted by a screech from him.

"Annabeth, it hur-" He said but his face froze for a second of panic before his eyes closed quickly. He stopped moving and lay lifeless on the ground before us.

"PERCY! Wake up, Percy!" I screamed but his head rolled to the side and it looked like he was sleeping. His messy black hair covered his forehead and I just about broke into pieces. I called over my shoulder for a medic and someone from the big house came rushing forward.

"Please, help him." I said forcefully.

"Percy has the mark of ach-"

"I KNOW THAT ALREADY! Tell me what's wrong with him, please!" I felt a tear run down my cheek. "He can't be dead." I whispered over and over as I watched the son of Apollo, I think his name was Max, work.

"Annabeth, you know that he can't really live after a puncture to his-"

"Shut up…" I felt something underneath my hand, which was wrapped around Percy's fingers. Max looked at me with hurt as I felt it again. A little bump next to my fingers.

"He is alive." I said quickly.

"Percy can't be he-"

I didn't let him get a chance to finish his sentence before I ripped off his armor. Percy still laid on the ground as I stripped him down to nothing but his jeans. With his shirt was strewn behind me, I carefully rolled him on his side. I looked on his bare back. No blood. In the small of his back where I knew it hurt for him, was a small black and blue bruise starting to form.

I remember one day when I kissed him and pushed him up against the wall in cabin three. He cried out in pain because a stray nail bumped the skin that was far away from it. If he couldn't handle a loose nail that sat a good inch or two from the small of his back, this must be hell for him.

My hand softly caressed the purple dot on the small of his back and he gasped for air. His body sent a shudder down his spine and I lay him back down. It was then did I notice his chest rise up.

"See, look-he is breathing." I said triumphantly and laid a hand on his bare front. So strong. Such a strong body was left motionless, helpless, slack just because of a small area on his back. Such a wonder.

"How in the heck…" Max looked in disbelief at Percy who looked seemingly healthy.

Him being unconscious scared me. I know that if he was awake, he would be in indescribable pain but it was still worrying.

"Ok, let's get him to the big house to see what is the matter." He said. Only a few monsters were going on, but I knew that the starter demigods were going to help take them down. It wasn't hard to lug an unconscious Percy across the field as long as I had help.

"Chiron!" I called into the big house. The only response I got was a hopeless echo through the three stories.

"Damnit." I hushed under my breath.

We hauled Percy into the hallway and in one of the doors. His toes dragged on the wood floor all the way until I safely tucked his feet on the bed. From the look at his breathing, it was slow, labored and difficult to take a breath in. Reluctant of this fact, he still inhaled and exhaled with shudders each time.

"His heart rate is a bit faster than normal." Max said as he held two fingers to Percy's neck and watched the precious seconds tick by on his watch, strapped to his wrist.

I brushed a loose strand of hair out of Percy's eyes and kissed the side of his face.

We sat there for a few minutes, trying to think of anything we could do to make his bed more comfortable.

Alas, we were out of options, only waiting for either him to wake up and give him some nectar or for Chiron to work his magic.

I held onto Percy's hand and felt his heart bump quickly under my fingers.

Suddenly they squeezed a bit. I looked up. From suddenly relaxed, Percy's body stretched upwards, fingers unclenched and legs down with a quick motion. From there he was awake and not fully aware of where he was.

"Percy, how do you feel?" I quickly asked him. I looked at his crazed eyes, circling the room and his shaking hands. He was in a lot of pain. He bit his lip as he tried to breath through his nose. It was no help and he was trying to breath normally but that didn't work either. His breaths were uneven and he was panicking.

"Percy, try to calm down." I said again. He licked his lips and Max went back to check his heart rhythm.

"Way to high," he warned and asked me to try to calm him down. Max left the room for some reason, only the gods know why and I looked into Percy's eyes. He was trying to be strong but his constant groaning gave it away. It still hurt, he cried through clenched teeth.

"I know. I know." I said and waited for Max to get back.

**A/N: OK everybody. I know, the chapter you have been waiting for.**

**Just letting you know, I got my MARK OF ATHENA TODAY! I literally screamed when I saw the Amazon package on my front door. Really good everybody : ) : ) XD XD**

**Enjoy and please review!**


	3. Asleep

**A/N: Thanks for all of your reviews! I just want to say that I also have this story and another one I am working on called Secret Agent Man. Please check it out and let me know how I'm doing!**

Annabeth's POV:

I watched his eyes move rapidly from place to place. My eyes, the door, his hand, the wall, and then back to my eyes. I tried to stay as calm as possible.

He groaned and grunted. While trying to form words, he could only squeeze his eyes shut and scream again.

Max returned and had a white kit with a lock on the top. He set it on the edge of Percy's bed and flicked his finger against a needle.

Percy shut his eyes and another wave of pain overcome him as his body shook the bed and his breathing increased. A terrible moan and scream of torture echoed through the room.

"What is that?"

"Mortal supplies. Nothing can help him now, it's just a sedative." He explained and grabbed Percy's wrist. He injected it into his bloodstream. I watched the liquid disappear as Max pushed his thumb down.

Immediately the effects started to take place. I watched as his breathing became more even and he opened his eyes. He stopped moving completely.

"Percy, how do you feel?" I asked. He disregarded my help and stared at the wall. I tried again and got nothing but a small blink of his eyes.

"What did you do?" I hissed.

"He's fine, it will take-"

"GO. GET. CHIRON." I pushed him out of the room and grabbed Percy's hand. I intercepted his line of vision and at the right angle, I looked into both of his sea green eyes. He didn't make a connection. His glassy eyes were fazed over but he evenly inhaled through his mouth.

"Percy, please…" I whispered and looked everywhere that could help him.

At that moment, Chiron burst through the door with Max following behind him.

"What happened?" He cried and trotted on the other side of Percy's side.

I quickly told him what happened, all about the hellhound, Max helping me bring him in, and the shot he gave him.

"Shouldn't he be…" He stopped quickly and met my eyes.

"Dead. I know." I swallowed hard and quickly wiped a tear from my eye. "But he is _not_"

Chiron pressed two fingers against his neck and laid a hand on his chest and listened to his breathing.

"Max, which sedative did you use to calm him?" Chiron asked.

"Uhh,…-" Max gaped him mouth and was at complete loss for words. I looked at him in disbelief.

"I want you to get out of here now." I said. The anger flooded my face and I wanted to rip his head off. I pointed to the door and the look in my eyes was pure hate, so you could say he exited the room pretty quick.

Percy blinked once and Chiron shined a flashlight into his eyes. His eyes didn't dilate to the shining light, nor did he have any recoiling reaction. I heard Chiron curse under his breath.

"Chiron? What is it?" I asked and gripped Percy's limp hand tighter.

"He doesn't seem to have…"

"What?" I asked when he never finished his sentence.

I watched as Chiron pressed his thumb nail into Percy's pad of his finger.

"Chiron, what is it?" I begged.

"Annabeth, I don't know who to say this but… I think the shot Max gave him-which relieved his pain-also temporarily put him into a coma-like state. I don't know how long he will be like this but the longer he is like this, the worse his condition will be."

"What can you do?"

"Nothing but wait. I will help monitor him but otherwise, we can only be there for him."

My stomach dropped like a rock and I broke down into tears. Chiron left the room while I sobbed into the crook of Percy's arm.

"Percy, please wake up," I cried. He took a shuddering breath in, that rattled his whole body and then closed his eyes and didn't move from then on.

"Percy?" I asked and put my hand on his face. I wiped some sweat off of his brow and pushed some wild strands of hair from his face.

I tried to keep calm and rational. I listened to his heart beat at a slow pace, from all the pain killers Max gave him.

"I love you." I whispered in his ear and held his hand, knuckles pressed against my forehead and promptly fell asleep.

**A/N: Ok everybody! Hope you enjoyed it and have a wonderful day. : )**


	4. Alive

**A/N: Thanks for all of the nice things I get about reviewing. I don't want to keep Percy in his 'coma-like' state. I just like to get Annabeth worked up about that. I don't think there is a story without a tragedy or suspense. Enjoy!**

Percy's POV:

When I woke up, I couldn't see, hear, or feel much. My vision was blurry and blackening by the second. Everything I heard was muffled and bursting in at different times. The pain that I felt though were infinite.

It radiated from the small of my back and sent waves of torturous pain through my body. It felt like I couldn't get enough air in my lungs and I tried so hard, but I couldn't. I gasped and felt the scarce air scrap down my throat. My heartbeat was out of control and I felt pound in my head and my back.

"Percy! Calm down." I heard from Annabeth. I looked at her and half of my sight blacked out again. I looked to the left and saw a boy with black hair and brown eyes. He was holding a small needle and was slowly diving into my arm. I didn't want to look and so I looked at Annabeth, hoping that I didn't' pass out soon.

"It's ok," She said and helped me to believe it. "I'm so sorry, Percy, calm down." I realized that my breathing had increased and I didn't want to die today.

So many questions were running through my mind and I couldn't think of anything correctly.

Once again, I felt a rush of pain over my body and I groaned out loud, eyes wide open. I felt Annabeth's hand and an angered holler from her mouth. The other boy quickly left the room and all of a sudden, I felt nothing.

My body was still against the pillows. Everything now was so much clearer-the only drawback? I couldn't move. I tried so hard but nothing moved. I stared at the wall in front of me and my eyes didn't move otherwise. I tried to call out to Annabeth but nothing moved. Everything felt much better now. It was like I was completely relaxed but I didn't know why. A small pinching feeling was hugging the small of my back but otherwise…

"Percy, what's wrong?" She asked. I took a breath in, happy that my body let me. "Percy, please." She tried again and waved a hand in front of my face. Golden curls and grey eyes intercepted my view. A worried look with red, puffy eyes was the one I was looking at.

Time elapsed a bit and the next thing I knew was looking at the back ok Chiron's clip clopping butt as he walked out of the white room.

"Oh gods Percy." she cried and I blinked my eyes, only wishing I could reach out to her. I felt her wrap her fingers through mine and my arm rose, pressing it to her forehead.

Soft sobbing came from my right and I moved for the first time since the pain.

A body racking and shivering breath in. I felt my lungs shake and my eyes shut quickly. I fell into blackness and wasn't retrieved until the idiot came back.

*OFFICIAL PAGE BREAK*

I was drifting until I found my place where I continued with a quick and weird dream before I woke up to a painful reality.

I was standing on the opposite sight of Annabeth across my own body. It was like I was there, but anytime I talked, Annabeth didn't hear me. I finally gave up and ended up sitting in a chair, watching her face. She slept and snored on the edge of my bed and sometimes mumbled to herself. One time she tried to get some work down and her brother brought her Daedalus's laptop. **(A/N: Is that how you spell it?)** a small meal was brought to her, sitting on top of a musty book about architecture.

She read a few pages and then Chiron came back in. She quickly shut the book and threw it on the floor.

"Chiron…" She said and then her voice dropped a bit. The worried look on her face made me want to grip her hand, but I know that wouldn't help-I had tried to touch her many times in this mixed up state.

I tried to not look at my own body. It would make me feel like I had failed camp. I couldn't protect Annabeth, but I was happy that it was me who was the one damaged and broken on the comfortable bed.

"I'm going to try something. I contacted my breatheren and they gave me some ideas about how to wake Percy up." She sat up at what Chiron told her.

"_Anything_, please." She said and looked at her trembling knees, trying to hide a small tear.

"Ok, well they sent me a small dose of medicine from their last raid at the Canadian Walgreens. Joel may have had a bad experience with the science experiment involving some aspirin and Pegasus hair…" I wasn't sure what that was but I wasn't sure I wanted to know. Annabeth looked anxious and ready to rip off the old centaur's head from all the time he had been taking. "Anyway, I have it with me now and am willing to give it a try."

Annabeth nodded and Chiron leaned down with a small needle to my wrist. Annabeth held a hand out and stopped him.

"Are there any side effects?" She asked. Chiron swallowed and continued to inject the mixture of stuff into my arm.

"How long?" She asked. Her eyes never left my face and Chiron solemnly shrugged. He walked out of the room with a quick 'let me know if anything changes'.

"Annabeth…" I tried again to see if she could hear me.

"Percy, please wake up. I'm trying so hard." She whispered under her breath.

"I know you are. I know. I'm trying." I said again.

I wasn't sure you could get hurt in a dream, but apparently I did. A sharp pain overrode my system and I tied to scream but nothing would come out of my mouth. As my vision blurred the last thing I saw was Annabeth on her feet, screaming out the door.

Left alone with my spirit and my unconscious body, I looked at myself and blackness washed over my eyes.

**A/N: Thanks so much for all of your reviews!**


	5. Always

**A/N: Thanks for all of your reviews! I love getting them! I think the story is coming to a close soon, like right now… I am also working on my other story-Secret Agent man so please feel free to check that out. I think it is starting to get good : )**

**Enjoy and have a wonderful day!**

Annabeth's POV:

Almost immediately the effects took place.

"Percy please wake up," I swallowed. He seemed to be at peace until he moved his head towards my voice. I felt my chest rise with hope and he coughed. The small contraction of his lungs sent him into a fury. He threw his head back with a quick, sharp motion and coughed again, only to get himself agitated again.

I ran to the doorway and called for Chiron. He came running back the way he came and entered the door.

"What is it?"

"It's Percy, he… I don't know."

The centaur bowed his head to Percy who was breathing very heavily. He laid a hand on his rapid chest and felt his heartbeat through his wrist.

"Is he ok?" I asked.

"He seems perfectly fine." Chiron said with a happy grin spread on his face. "It will just take him some time, that is all. I need to tend to another camper. Make sure he stays calm." And with that, Chiron slipped out of the room.

I turned my attention back to Percy. He was turning his head side to side and shifting uncomfortably in his bed. He looked so pale and sweat was beading on his forehead from the stress.

A groan escaped his curved lips and he exhaled a really big breath.

"Can I see those pretty green eyes?" I coaxed him. A shaky breath in and he returned his head to the middle. Laying down he was now looking at the ceiling. "Try, Seaweed Brain. Open your eyes."

Slowly and with an unsure gesture, I saw a glimpse of green in his little slits but then he quickly closed his eyelids again.

"Percy, you were so close." I grabbed his hand. "Is it the lights?" I asked. I know he is to weak to answer but I tried to do everything I could. I stood up and flicked the switch. The room grew dark and the only light was the small window embedded into the door. It cast a ghostly glow gazing over a small section of the room.

My eyes adjusted to the light and Percy was still motionless.

"Try again." I urged. I hoped he could hear me. He did, and opened his eyes again. I felt tears well at the side of my face and I grabbed his face and pushed back some black hair. His eyelids were pointed in my direction. Slowly they peeled away and revealed a pair of sea green eyes. I gasped in happiness but saw the pain in them.

"Percy-" I choked and smiled. He grinned a bit too but then his face contorted a bit in pain but then it went back after a few seconds. "It is your Achilles spot?" I asked. He gasped a bit trying to say something and then he clenched his eyes shut and bit on his lower half of his lip until he was able to control his sore voice again.

I slunk my hand into his. He relaxed at the touch and rolled his head to me, eyes wide open.

"Don't try to talk." I warned him. Well, he was a complete Seaweed Brain and did anyways.

"Annabeth." He said. His voice was scratchy and it broke at the second syllable of my name. He coughed a bit and looked at me.

"I was so worried, Chiron said you might never wake up." I choked out with a little sob.

"Well, I'm here, right?" He said slowly, trying to even out his voice.

"You shouldn't have done that, you know. I would have been perfectly fine." I told him, remembering the searing glare of the hellhound's eyes as it began to pounce.

"You're a dog toy."

"I like my other nickname, Seaweed Brain."

"Wise Girl." He smiled. At that moment, Chiron came back in the room.

"How are you feeling Percy?" He asked. Percy lifted his fingers enough to make a thumbs up. "Good, I'm glad. Nothing hurts?" Chiron asked. They met eyes and Chiron tapped Percy's side. As soon as he made contact, Percy flinched away with a quick gasp for air through teeth.

"That's what I thought." Chiron said, proving Percy as a liar.

"Awesome." Percy said.

"You will probably be confined here until you are strong enough to get out of bed."

Percy rolled his eyes and looked at me.

"You are doing what he tells you." I said stubbornly.

"gods…"

And from there on, he got better. I always spent time with him and Tyson visited him while he was recovering. All of us were with him every step of the way. I just hoped he didn't do anything stupid like that again.

He continued to be my strong, Seaweed Brain.

**A/N: Ok, well Yup… I am working on my other story, so please check that out and this was going to be short, so don't be disappointed. I was really happy that I had something that everybody liked though. Special thanks to reviewers:**

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**(No Spaces, just my computer has a hard time when it's like that.) THANKS EVERYBODY!**

**Have a wonderful life and I wish you well all the time! : )**


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